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The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God

as it is written in Isaiah the prophet

“I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way”—

“a voice of one calling in the wilderness

‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’”

And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness

preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins

The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him

Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River

John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist

and he ate locusts and wild honey. And this was his message

“After me comes the one more powerful than I

the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie

I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in

Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan

Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water

he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove

And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love

with you I am well pleased.”

At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness

and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan

He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him

After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee

proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come,” he said

“The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”

As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee

he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake

for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said

“and I will send you out to fish for people.”

At once they left their nets and followed him

When he had gone a little farther

he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat

preparing their nets. Without delay he called them

and they left their father Zebedee in the

boat with the hired men and followed him

They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came

Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach

The people were amazed at his teaching

because he taught them as one who had authority

not as the teachers of the law

Just then a man in their synagogue who

was possessed by an impure spirit cried out

“What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us?

I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”

“Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!”

The impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek

The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this?

A new teaching—and with authority!

He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him.”

News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee

As soon as they left the synagogue

they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew

Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever

and they immediately told Jesus about her. So he went to her

took her hand and helped her up

The fever left her and she began to wait on them

That evening after sunset the people brought

to Jesus all the sick and demon- possessed

The whole town gathered at the door

and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons

but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up

left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed

Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him

they exclaimed: “Everyone is

looking for you!” Jesus replied

“Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also

That is why I have come.” So he traveled throughout Galilee

preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons

A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees

“If you are willing, you can make me clean.”

Jesus was indignant. He reached out his hand and touched the man

“I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!”

Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed

Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning

“See that you don’t tell this to anyone. But go

show yourself to the priest and offer

the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing

as a testimony to them.” Instead he went out and began to talk freely

spreading the news. As a result

Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places

Yet the people still came to him from everywhere

A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum

the people heard that he had come home

They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left

not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. Some men came

bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them

Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd

they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then

lowered the mat the man was lying on

When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son

your sins are forgiven.”

Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves

“Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming!

Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this

was what they were thinking in their hearts

and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier

to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up

take your mat and walk’?

But I want you to know that the Son

of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.”

So he said to the man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.”

He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all

This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying

“We have never seen anything like this!”

Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came to him

and he began to teach them

As he walked along

he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,”

Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him

While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house

many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples

for there were many who followed him

When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees

saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors

they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor

but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting

Some people came and asked Jesus

“How is it that John’s disciples and the disciples

of the Pharisees are fasting

but yours are not?” Jesus answered

“How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot

so long as they have him with them

But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them

and on that day they will fast

“No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise

the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse

And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise

the wine will burst the skins

and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No

they pour new wine into new wineskins.”

One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields

and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain

The Pharisees said to him, “Look

why are they doing what is

unlawful on the Sabbath?” He answered

“Have you never read what David did when

he and his companions were hungry and in need?

In the days of Abiathar the high priest

he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread

which is lawful only for priests to eat

And he also gave some to his companions.”

Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath

So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

Another time Jesus went into the synagogue

and a man with a shriveled hand was there

Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus

so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath

Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.”

Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath

to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent

He looked around at them in anger and

deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man

“Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out

and his hand was completely restored

Then the Pharisees went out and began to

plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus

Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake

and a large crowd from Galilee followed

When they heard about all he was doing, many people came to him from Judea

Jerusalem, Idumea, and the regions across the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon

Because of the crowd he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him

to keep the people from crowding him. For he had healed many

so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him

Whenever the impure spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out

“You are the Son of God.”

But he gave them strict orders not to tell others about him

Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted

and they came to him

He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out

to preach and to have authority to drive out demons

These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter)

James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges

which means “sons of thunder”), Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas

James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the

Zealot and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him

Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered

so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat

When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him

for they said, “He is out of his mind.”

And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said

“He is possessed by Beelzebul!

By the prince of demons he is driving out demons.”

So Jesus called them over to him and began to speak to them in parables

“How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself

that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself

that house cannot stand. And if Satan opposes himself and is divided

he cannot stand; his end has come. In fact

no one can enter a strong man’s house without first tying him up

Then he can plunder the strong man’s house. Truly I tell you

people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter

but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven

they are guilty of an eternal sin.”

He said this because they were saying, “He has an impure spirit.”

Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside

they sent someone in to call him. A crowd was sitting around him

and they told him, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.”

“Who are my mother and my brothers?” he asked

Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said

“Here are my mother and my brothers!

Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”

Again Jesus began to teach by the lake

The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat

in it out on the lake

while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge

He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: “Listen!

A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed

some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up

Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil

It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up

the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root

Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants

so that they did not bear grain. Still other seed fell on good soil

It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty

some a hundred times.”

Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to

hear, let them hear.”

When he was alone

the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables

He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you

But to those on the outside everything is said in parables so that

“‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving

and ever hearing but never understanding

otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’”

Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable?

How then will you understand any parable? The farmer sows the word

Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown

As soon as they hear it

Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. Others

like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy

But since they have no root, they last only a short time

When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away

Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word

but the worries of this life

the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for

other things come in and choke the word

making it unfruitful. Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word

accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty

some a hundred times what was sown.”

He said to them, “Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed?

Instead, don’t you put it on its stand?

For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed

and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open

If anyone has ears to hear, let them hear.”

“Consider carefully what you hear,” he continued. “With the measure you use

it will be measured to you—and even more. Whoever has will be given more

whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.”

He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like

A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up

the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how

All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head

then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe

he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.”

Again he said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like

or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed

which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. Yet when planted

it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants

with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.”

With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them

as much as they could understand

He did not say anything to them without using a parable

But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything

That day when evening came, he said to his disciples

“Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind

they took him along, just as he was, in the boat

There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up

and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped

Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion

The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!”

Then the wind died down and it was completely calm

He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this?

Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes

When Jesus got out of the boat

a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him

This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore

not even with a chain. For he had often been chained hand and foot

but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet

No one was strong enough to subdue him

Night and day among the tombs and in the

hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones

When he saw Jesus from a distance

he ran and fell on his knees in front of him

He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus

Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!”

For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!”

Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”

“My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.”

And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area

A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside

The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.”

He gave them permission

and the impure spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd

about two thousand in number

rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned

Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside

and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus

they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there

dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid

Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed

man—and told about the pigs as well

Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region

As Jesus was getting into the boat

the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him

Jesus did not let him, but said

“Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you

and how he has had mercy on you.”

So the man went away and began to tell

in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him

And all the people were amazed

When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake

a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake

Then one of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus

he fell at his feet. He pleaded earnestly with him

“My little daughter is dying

Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.”

So Jesus went with him

A large crowd followed and pressed around him

And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years

She had suffered a great deal under the care

of many doctors and had spent all she had

yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus

she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought

“If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.”

Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in

her body that she was freed from her suffering

At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him

He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”

“You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered

“and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ”

But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman

knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and

trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter

your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”

While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus

the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” they said

“Why bother the teacher anymore?”

Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”

He did not let anyone follow him except Peter

James and John the brother of James

When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw a commotion

with people crying and wailing loudly. He went in and said to them

“Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.”

But they laughed at him

After he put them all out

he took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with him

and went in where the child was. He took her by the hand and said to her

“Talitha koum!” (which means “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”)

Immediately the girl stood up and began

to walk around (she was twelve years old)

At this they were completely astonished

He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this

and told them to give her something to eat

Jesus left there and went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples

When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue

and many who heard him were amazed

“Where did this man get these things?” they asked

“What’s this wisdom that has been given him?

What are these remarkable miracles he is performing? Isn’t this the carpenter?

Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon?

Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him

Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town

among his relatives and in his own home.” He could not do any miracles there

except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them

He was amazed at their lack of faith

Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village

Calling the Twelve to him

he began to send them out two by

two and gave them authority over impure spirits

These were his instructions

“Take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag

no money in your belts. Wear sandals but not an extra shirt

Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town

And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you

leave that place and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.”

They went out and preached that people should repent

They drove out many demons and anointed

many sick people with oil and healed them

King Herod heard about this, for Jesus’ name had become well known

Some were saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead

and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”

Others said, “He is Elijah.”

And still others claimed, “He is a prophet

like one of the prophets of long ago.”

But when Herod heard this, he said, “John, whom I beheaded

has been raised from the dead!”

For Herod himself had given orders to have John arrested

and he had him bound and put in prison. He did this because of Herodias

his brother Philip’s wife, whom he had married

For John had been saying to Herod

“It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”

So Herodias nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him

But she was not able to, because Herod feared John and protected him

knowing him to be a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard John

he was greatly puzzled; yet he liked to listen to him

Finally the opportune time came

On his birthday Herod gave a banquet for his high officials and military

commanders and the leading men of Galilee

When the daughter of Herodias came in and danced

she pleased Herod and his dinner guests

The king said to the girl, “Ask me for anything you want

and I’ll give it to you.” And he promised her with an oath

“Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom.”

She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?”

“The head of John the Baptist,” she answered

At once the girl hurried in to the king with the request

“I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter.”

The king was greatly distressed

but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her

So he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head

The man went, beheaded John in the prison

and brought back his head on a platter. He presented it to the girl

and she gave it to her mother. On hearing of this

John’s disciples came and took his body and laid it in a tomb

The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported

to him all they

had done and taught Then

because so many people were coming and going that

they did not even have a

chance to eat he said to them

“Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place

But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns

and got there ahead of them

When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them

because they were like sheep without a shepherd

So he began teaching them many things

By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him

“This is a remote place,” they said, “and it’s already very late

Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and

villages and buy themselves something to eat.”

But he answered, “You give them something to eat.”

They said to him, “That would take more than half a year’s wages!

Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?”

“How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.”

When they found out, they said, “Five—and two fish.”

Then Jesus directed them to have all the

people sit down in groups on the green grass

So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties

Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven

he gave thanks and broke the loaves

Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people

He also divided the two fish among them all. They all ate and were satisfied

and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls

of broken pieces of bread and fish

The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand

Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the

boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida

while he dismissed the crowd. After leaving them

he went up on a mountainside to pray

Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the lake

and he was alone on land. He saw the disciples straining at the oars

because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn he went out to them

walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them

but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost

They cried out, because they all saw him and were terrified

Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I

Don’t be afraid.” Then he climbed into the boat with them

and the wind died down. They were completely amazed

for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened

When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and anchored there

As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognized Jesus

They ran throughout that whole region and carried the

sick on mats to wherever they heard he was

And wherever he went—into villages

towns or countryside—they placed the sick in the marketplaces

They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak

and all who touched it were healed

The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem

gathered around Jesus and saw some of his

disciples eating food with hands

that were defiled that is, unwashed

(The Pharisees and all the Jews do not

eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing

holding to the tradition of the elders

When they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash

And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups

pitchers and kettles.)

So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus

“Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead

of eating their food with defiled hands?”

He replied, “Isaiah was right when he

prophesied about you hypocrites as it is written

“‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me

They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’

You have let go of the commands of God

and are holding on to human traditions.” And he continued

“You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe

your own traditions!

For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and

‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’

But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their

father or mother is Corban (that is

devoted to God)— then you no longer let

them do anything for their father or mother

Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down

And you do many things like that.”

Again Jesus called the crowd to him and

said, “Listen to me, everyone and understand this

Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather

it is what comes out of a person that defiles them.”

After he had left the crowd and entered the house

his disciples asked him about this parable. “Are you so dull?” he asked

“Don’t you see that nothing that enters

a person from the outside can defile them?

For it doesn’t go into their heart but into their stomach

and then out of the body.” (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean.)

He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them

For it is from within, out of a person’s heart

that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed

malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly

All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”

Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre

He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it

yet he could not keep his presence secret. In fact

as soon as she heard about him

a woman whose little daughter was possessed by

an impure spirit came and fell at his feet

The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia

She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter

“First let the children eat all they want,” he told her

“for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”

“Lord,” she replied, “even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”

Then he told her, “For such a reply, you may go

the demon has left your daughter.”

She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone

Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon

down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis

There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk

and they begged Jesus to place his hand on him

After he took him aside, away from the crowd

Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears

Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue

He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, “Ephphatha!”

(which means “Be opened!”). At this, the man’s ears were opened

his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly

Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so

the more they kept talking about it. People were overwhelmed with amazement

“He has done everything well,” they said

“He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

During those days another large crowd gathered. Since they had nothing to eat

Jesus called his disciples to him and said

“I have compassion for these people

they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat

If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way

because some of them have come a long distance.”

His disciples answered

“But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?”

“How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked

“Seven,” they replied

He told the crowd to sit down on the ground

When he had taken the seven loaves and given thanks

he broke them and gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people

and they did so. They had a few small fish as well

he gave thanks for them also and told the disciples to distribute them

The people ate and were satisfied

Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls

of broken pieces that were left over

About four thousand were present. After he had sent them away

he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the region of Dalmanutha

The Pharisees came and began to question Jesus. To test him

they asked him for a sign from heaven. He sighed deeply and said

“Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you

no sign will be given to it.” Then he left them

got back into the boat and crossed to the other side

The disciples had forgotten to bring bread

except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. “Be careful,”

Jesus warned them. “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.”

They discussed this with one another and said, “It is because we have no bread.”

Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them

“Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand?

Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes but fail to see

and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember?

When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand

how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?”

“Twelve,” they replied

“And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand

how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?”

They answered, “Seven.”

He said to them, “Do you still not understand?”

They came to Bethsaida

and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him

He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village

When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked

“Do you see anything?”

He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.”

Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened

his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. Jesus sent him home

saying, “Don’t even go into the village.”

Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi

On the way he asked them, “Who do people say I am?”

They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others

one of the prophets.”

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.”

Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him

He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be

rejected by the elders

the chief priests and the teachers of the law

and that he must be killed and after three days rise again

He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him

But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter

“Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God

but merely human concerns.”

Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said

“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny

themselves and take up their cross and follow me

For whoever wants to save their life will lose it

but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it

What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?

Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?

If anyone is ashamed of me and

my words in this adulterous and sinful generation

the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when

he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

And he said to them, “Truly I tell you

some who are standing here will not taste death before they see that the kingdom

of God has come with power.”

After six days Jesus took Peter

James and John with him and led them up a high mountain

where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them

His clothes became dazzling white

whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them

And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus

Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here

Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”

(He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.)

Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud

“This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”

Suddenly, when they looked around

they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus

As they were coming down the mountain

Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of

Man had risen from the dead

They kept the matter to themselves

discussing what “rising from the

dead” meant And they asked him

“Why do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?”

Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah does come first, and restores all things

Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected?

But I tell you, Elijah has come

and they have done to him everything they wished

just as it is written about him.”

When they came to the other disciples

they saw a large crowd around them and

the teachers of the law arguing with them

As soon as all the people saw Jesus

they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him

“What are you arguing with them about?” he asked

A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son

who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech

Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth

gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid

I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.”

“You unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you?

How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”

So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus

it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion

He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth

Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?”

“From childhood,” he answered

“It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him

But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”

“‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”

Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe

help me overcome my unbelief!”

When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene

he rebuked the impure spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said

“I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”

The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out

The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.”

But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up

After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately

“Why couldn’t we drive it out?”

He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.”

They left that place and passed through Galilee

Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were

because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them

“The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men

They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.”

But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it

They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them

“What were you arguing about on the road?”

But they kept quiet because on the way

they had argued about who was the greatest

Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said

“Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.”

He took a little child whom he placed among them.

Taking the child in his arms he said to them

“Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me

and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”

“Teacher,” said John

“we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop

because he was not one of us.”

“Do not stop him,” Jesus said

“For no one who does a miracle in my name

can in the next moment say anything bad about me

for whoever is not against us is for us. Truly I tell you

anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah

will certainly not lose their reward

“If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble

it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and

they were thrown into the sea

If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off

It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell

where the fire never goes out. And if

your foot causes you to stumble cut it off

It is better for you to enter life crippled

than to have two feet and be thrown into hell

And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out

It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two

eyes and be thrown into hell where

“‘the worms that eat them do not die, and the fire is not quenched.’

Everyone will be salted with fire

“Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again?

Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with each other.”

Jesus then left that place and went into

the region of Judea and across the Jordan

Again crowds of people came to him, and as was his custom, he taught them

Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking

“Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”

“What did Moses command

you?” he replied They said

“Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away.”

“It was because your hearts were hard

that Moses wrote you this law,” Jesus replied

“But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’

‘For this reason a man will leave his

father and mother and be united to his wife

and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh

Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

When they were in the house again,

the disciples asked Jesus about this He answered

“Anyone who divorces his wife and

marries another woman commits adultery against her

And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.”

People were bringing little children to Jesus

for him to place his hands on them

but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant

He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them

for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you

anyone who will not receive the kingdom of

God like a little child will never enter it.”

And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them

As Jesus started on his way

a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked

“what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone

You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder

you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal

you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud

honor your father and mother.’”

“Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”

Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go

sell everything you have and give to the poor

and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth

Jesus looked around and said to his disciples

“How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”

The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children

how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!

It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who

is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other

“Who then can be saved?”

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God

all things are possible with God.”

Then Peter spoke up, “We have left everything to follow you!”

“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied

“no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children

or fields for me and the gospel will fail to

receive a hundred times as much in this present age

homes, brothers, sisters, mothers

children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life

But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way

and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid

Again he took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him

“We are going up to Jerusalem,” he said

“and the Son of Man will be delivered over

to the chief priests and the teachers of the law

They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles

who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him

Three days later he will rise.”

Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said

“we want you to do for us whatever we ask.”

“What do you want me to

do for you?” he asked They replied

“Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.”

“You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said

“Can you drink the cup I drink or

be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?”

“We can,” they answered

Jesus said to them

“You will drink the cup I drink and

be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with

but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant

These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.”

When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John

Jesus called them together and said

“You know that those who are regarded as

rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them

and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you

Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant

and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve

and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples

together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man

Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging

When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus

Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more

“Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”

So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.”

Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus

“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him

The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”

“Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.”

Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road

As they approached Jerusalem and came to

Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives

Jesus sent two of his disciples, saying to them

“Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it

you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden

Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say

‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.’”

They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway

As they untied it, some people standing there asked, “What are you doing

untying that colt?” They answered as Jesus had told them to

and the people let them go

When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it

he sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road

while others spread branches they had cut in the fields

Those who went ahead and

those who followed shouted “Hosanna!”

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!”

“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts

He looked around at everything, but since it was already late

he went out to Bethany with the Twelve

The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry

Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf

he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it

he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs

Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.”

And his disciples heard him say it

On reaching Jerusalem

Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving

out those who were buying and selling there

He overturned the tables of the money

changers and the benches of those selling doves

and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts

And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written

‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’?

But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’”

The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard

this and began looking for a way to kill him

for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching

When evening came, Jesus and his disciples went out of the city

In the morning, as they went along

they saw the fig tree withered from the roots

Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look!

The fig tree you cursed has withered!”

“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. “Truly I tell you

if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’

and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen

it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer

believe that you have received it, and it will be yours

And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them

so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”

They arrived again in Jerusalem

and while Jesus was walking in the temple courts, the chief priests

the teachers of the law and the elders came to him

“By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked

“And who gave you authority to do this?”

Jesus replied, “I will ask you one question. Answer me

and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things

John’s baptism—was it from heaven, or of human origin? Tell me!”

They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’

he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ But if we say

‘Of human origin’ …” (They feared the people

for everyone held that John really was a prophet.)

So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”

Jesus said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”

Jesus then began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard

He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower

Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place

At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of

the fruit of the vineyard

But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed

Then he sent another servant to them

they struck this man on the head and treated him shamefully

He sent still another, and that one they killed. He sent many others

some of them they beat, others they killed

“He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all

saying, ‘They will respect my son.’

“But the tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him

and the inheritance will be ours.’ So they took him and killed him

and threw him out of the vineyard

“What then will the owner of the vineyard do?

He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others

Haven’t you read this passage of Scripture

“‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone

the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”

Then the chief priests

the teachers of the law and the elders looked for a way to arrest him because

they knew he had spoken the parable against them

But they were afraid of the crowd; so they left him and went away

Later they sent some of the Pharisees and

Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words

They came to him and said, “Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity

You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are

but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth

Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?

Should we pay or shouldn’t we?”

But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. “Why are you trying to trap me?” he asked

“Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” They brought the coin

and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”

“Caesar’s,” they replied

Then Jesus said to them

“Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.”

And they were amazed at him

Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection

came to him with a question. “Teacher,” they said

“Moses wrote for us that if a man’s

brother dies and leaves a wife but no children

the man must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother

Now there were seven brothers

The first one married and died without leaving any children

The second one married the widow, but he also died, leaving no child

It was the same with the third. In fact, none of the seven left any children

Last of all, the woman died too. At the resurrection whose wife will she be

since the seven were

married to her?” Jesus replied

“Are you not in error because you do

not know the Scriptures or the power of God?

When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage

they will be like the angels in heaven

Now about the dead rising—have you not read in the Book of Moses

in the account of the burning bush, how God said to him

‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’?

He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!”

One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating

Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him

“Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel

The Lord our God, the Lord is one

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all

your mind and with all your strength.’

The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

There is no commandment greater than these.”

“Well said, teacher,” the man replied

“You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him

To love him with all your heart

with all your understanding and with all your strength

and to love your neighbor as yourself is

more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him

“You are not far from the kingdom of God.”

And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions

While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, he asked

“Why do the teachers of the law say that the Messiah is the son of David?

David himself, speaking by the Holy Spirit, declared

“‘The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand

until I put your enemies under your feet.”’

David himself calls him ‘Lord.’ How then can he be his son?”

The large crowd listened to him with delight

As he taught, Jesus said, “Watch out for the teachers of the law

They like to walk around in flowing robes

and be greeted with respect in the marketplaces

and have the most important seats in the

synagogues and the places of honor at banquets

They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers

These men will be punished most severely.”

Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the

crowd putting their money into the temple treasury

Many rich people threw in large amounts

But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins

worth only a few cents

Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you

this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others

They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty

put in everything—all she had to live on.”

As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look

Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!”

“Do you see all these great buildings?” replied Jesus

“Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”

As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James

John and Andrew asked him privately, “Tell us, when will these things happen?

And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?”

Jesus said to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you

Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many

When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed

Such things must happen, but the end is still to come

Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom

There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines

These are the beginning of birth pains

“You must be on your guard

You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues

On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them

And the gospel must first be preached to all nations

Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial

do not worry beforehand about what to say

Just say whatever is given you at the time,

for it is not you speaking but the Holy Spirit

“Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child

Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death

Everyone will hate you because of me

but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved

“When you see ‘the abomination that causes desolation’ standing where it does

not belong—let the reader understand—then let those

who are in Judea flee to the mountains

Let no one on the housetop go down or enter the house to take anything out

Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak

How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers!

Pray that this will not take place in winter

because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning

when God created the world, until now—and never to be equaled again

“If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive

But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has shortened them

At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘Look

there he is!’ do not believe it

For false messiahs and false prophets will

appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive

if possible, even the elect. So be on your guard

I have told you everything ahead of time

“But in those days, following that distress

“‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light

the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’

“At that time people will see the Son of

Man coming in clouds with great power and glory

And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds

from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens

“Now learn this lesson from the fig tree

As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out

you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things happening

you know that it is near, right at the door. Truly I tell you

this generation will certainly not pass

away until all these things have happened

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away

“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven

nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert!

You do not know when that time will come. It’s like a man going away

He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge

each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch

“Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will

come back—whether in the evening

or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly

do not let him find you sleeping. What

I say to you, I say to everyone ‘Watch!’”

Now the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread were only two days away

and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were scheming to arrest Jesus

secretly and kill him

“But not during the festival,” they said, “or the people may riot.”

While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper

a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume

made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head

Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another

“Why this waste of perfume?

It could have been sold for more than a

year’s wages and the money given to the poor.”

And they rebuked her harshly

“Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her?

She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you

and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me

She did what she could

She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial

Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world

what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”

Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve

went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them

They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money

So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over

On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread

when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb

Jesus’ disciples asked him

“Where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover?”

So he sent two of his disciples, telling them, “Go into the city

and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him

Say to the owner of the house he enters, ‘The Teacher asks

Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’

He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready

Make preparations for us

there.” The disciples left

went into the city and found things just as Jesus had told them

So they prepared the Passover

When evening came, Jesus arrived with the Twelve

While they were reclining at the table eating, he said, “Truly I tell you

one of you will betray me—one who is eating with me.”

They were saddened, and one by one they said to him, “Surely you don’t mean me?”

“It is one of the Twelve,” he replied

“one who dips bread into the bowl with me

The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him

But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man!

It would be better for him if he had not been born.”

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks

he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take it; this is my body.”

Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them

and they all drank from it

“This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many,”

he said to them. “Truly I tell you

I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it

new in the kingdom of God.”

When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives

“You will all fall away,” Jesus told them, “for it is written

“‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’

But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”

Peter declared, “Even if all fall away, I will not.”

“Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “today—yes

tonight—before the rooster crows twice you yourself will disown me three times.”

But Peter insisted emphatically, “Even if I have to die with you

I will never disown you.” And all the others said the same

They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples

“Sit here while I pray.” He took Peter, James and John along with him

and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled

“My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them

“Stay here and keep watch.”

Going a little farther

he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him

“Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you

Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”

Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Simon,”

he said to Peter, “are you asleep? Couldn’t you keep watch for one hour?

Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation

The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Once more he went away and prayed the same thing. When he came back

he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy

They did not know what to say to him

Returning the third time, he said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting?

Enough! The hour has come. Look

the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. Rise! Let us go!

Here comes my betrayer!”

Just as he was speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, appeared

With him was a crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests

the teachers of the law, and the elders

Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss is the man

arrest him and lead him away under guard.” Going at once to Jesus, Judas said

“Rabbi!” and kissed him

The men seized Jesus and arrested him

Then one of those standing near drew his

sword and struck the servant of

the high priest cutting off his ear

“Am I leading a rebellion,” said Jesus

“that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me?

Every day I was with you, teaching in the temple courts

and you did not arrest me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled.”

Then everyone deserted him and fled

A young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment, was following Jesus

When they seized him, he fled naked, leaving his garment behind

They took Jesus to the high priest, and all the chief priests

the elders and the teachers of the law came together

Peter followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest

There he sat with the guards and warmed himself at the fire

The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for evidence against

Jesus so that they could put him to death

but they did not find any. Many testified falsely against him

but their statements did not agree

Then some stood up and gave this

false testimony against him “We heard him say

‘I will destroy this temple made with human

hands and in three days will build another

not made with hands.’” Yet even then their testimony did not agree

Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus

“Are you not going to answer?

What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?”

But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer

Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah

the Son of the Blessed

One?” “I am,” said Jesus

“And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and

coming on the clouds of heaven.”

The high priest tore his clothes. “Why do we need any more witnesses?”

he asked. “You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?”

They all condemned him as worthy of death. Then some began to spit at him

they blindfolded him, struck him with their fists, and said, “Prophesy!”

And the guards took him and beat him

While Peter was below in the courtyard

one of the servant girls of the high priest came by

When she saw Peter warming himself, she looked closely at him

“You also were with that Nazarene, Jesus,” she said

But he denied it. “I don’t know or understand what you’re talking about,”

he said, and went out into the entryway

When the servant girl saw him there, she said again to those standing around

“This fellow is one of them.” Again he denied it

After a little while, those standing near said to Peter

“Surely you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.”

He began to call down curses, and he swore to them

“I don’t know this man you’re talking about.”

Immediately the rooster crowed the second time

Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him

“Before the rooster crows twice you will disown me three times.”

And he broke down and wept

Very early in the morning, the chief priests, with the elders

the teachers of the law and the whole Sanhedrin, made their plans

So they bound Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate

“Are you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate

“You have said so,” Jesus replied

The chief priests accused him of many things. So again Pilate asked him

“Aren’t you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of.”

But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed

Now it was the custom at the festival

to release a prisoner whom the people requested

A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed

murder in the uprising

The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did

“Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate

knowing it was out of self-interest that the

chief priests had handed Jesus over to him

But the chief priests stirred up the

crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas instead

“What shall I do, then, with the one you

call the king of the Jews?” Pilate asked them

“Crucify him!” they shouted

“Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate

But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”

Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them

He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified

The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is

the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers

They put a purple robe on him

then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him

And they began to call out to him, “Hail, king of the Jews!”

Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him

Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. And when they had mocked him

they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him

Then they led him out to crucify him

A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus

was passing by on his way in from the country

and they forced him to carry the cross

They brought Jesus to the place called

Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”)

Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it

And they crucified him

Dividing up his clothes

they cast lots to see what each would get

It was nine in the morning when they crucified him

The written notice of the charge against him read: the king of the jews

They crucified two rebels with him, one on his right and one on his left

Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “So!

You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days

come down from the cross and save yourself!”

In the same way the chief priests and

the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves

“He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! Let this Messiah

this king of Israel, come down now from the cross

that we may see and believe.”

Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him

At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon

And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi

lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”)

When some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen

he’s calling Elijah.”

Someone ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a staff

and offered it to Jesus to drink. “Now leave him alone

Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down,” he said

With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last

The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom

And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died

he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”

Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene

Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joseph, and Salome

In Galilee these women had followed him and cared for his needs

Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem were also there

It was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath)

So as evening approached, Joseph of Arimathea

a prominent member of the Council

who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God

went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body

Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead. Summoning the centurion

he asked him if Jesus had already died

When he learned from the centurion that it was so, he gave the body to Joseph

So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen

and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock

Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb

Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph saw where he was laid

When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James

and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body

Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise

they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other

“Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?”

But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large

had been rolled away

As they entered the tomb

they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side

and they were alarmed

“Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene

who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here

See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter

‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him

just as he told you.’”

Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb

They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid

When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week

he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons

She went and told those who had been with him and who were mourning and weeping

When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him

they did not believe it

Afterward Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were

walking in the country

These returned and reported it to the rest

but they did not believe them either

Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating

he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe

those who had seen him after he had risen

He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation

Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved

but whoever does not believe will be condemned

And these signs will accompany those who believe

In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues

they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison

it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people

and they will get well.”

After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them

he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God

Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere

and the Lord worked with them and confirmed

his word by the

signs that accompanied it